All I want to do is dance
by Hodgeheg
Summary: Chapter 8: Noodle hates having her hair brushed; Russel is not above bribing with ice cream. (Phase 1). Collection of one-shots of varying lengths and phases. Title is from 'Dirty Harry'. (Warning: Chapter 7 talks about the death of parent).
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I don't own Gorillaz.**

2D had kept all his notes from his brief time at university. They were arranged in an incomprehensible jumble that had no rhyme or reason, but were in fact ordered by whichever case he had liked most. It had been… refreshing, being away from the band and music for a bit, although at the time one could occasionally hear soft melodies floating down the corridor from his room on nights where he couldn't sleep at all.

Nobody really spoke about the innocuous colourful folders that were stacked in the corner of his room. Both Noodle and Russel knew about his law degree, but it wasn't really a subject that they were all that interested in. Noodle liked to wax lyrical with 2D in the middle of the night about random philosophical questions that floated across her mind when the darkness and loneliness of her room began to feel suffocating, and Russel like to engage 2D with long rants about the political climate of the world when the blue haired singer was barely awake at the breakfast table, but neither were that interested in discussing about the various issues of cohabitation rights in property law or the intricacies of inchoate offences found in criminal law.

Murdoc didn't even know that 2D had a degree, and 2D had no desire to disclose that information. Even if he did manage to escape the ridicule that Murdoc was sure to throw at him if he ever found out, 2D was certain that he would somehow be roped into becoming some sort of de facto lawyer for the band, or worse, for Murdoc. 2D was not sure what sort of contracts and deals Murdoc had with various members of the underworld, and he did not want to find out. He wasn't even convinced that they would be legally binding, but he was sure that if either party didn't like his answer he would somehow be the one penalised.

It just wasn't worth thinking about.

But still, he kept his folders and notes. Murdoc hardly ever went into his room, and even if he did it was such a state that it would be difficult to spot them amongst the mess. Most of the time 2D forgot that they were even there, but on the odd night when he couldn't sleep, music didn't appeal to him and Noodle wasn't around to have those soft, strange conversations on the landing then he liked to pull them out and re-read the printed cases with his notes scribbled in the margins, rings from old cups of coffee staining some of the pages. Sometimes, when he really couldn't sleep, then he would pull out his laptop and look up newer cases, read new blog posts, and look up any new articles on the topics that had interested him the most. 2D liked the distraction and the peace, and on those few times that he needed it, his mind would finally quieten enough to sleep.

 **A/N: This is brought to you (like all my writing) by the power of procrastination over my own law degree. Apologies for technical references to certain law issues; I am absolutely happy to talk to anyone interested about inchoate offences (I almost based my dissertation on them) but I swear if I have to talk about cohabiting couples one more time I'm going to scream. Literally, the only reason at this point that I'm keeping motivation to complete my degree is the fact that if 2D can manage it, then so can I.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I don't own Gorillaz.**

Noodle huffed, head bowed over her guitar strings as she tried to ignore the throbbing in her head, the scratching in her throat and the uncomfortable heat. She knew that she was sick, and that she should probably tell someone, but she liked to play the music that they were creating, and she wasn't even sure how she could tell her bandmates what was wrong; she still didn't know enough English, and trying to explain to them was too difficult to contemplate. She was struggling to concentrate on the song they were playing, and finding it difficult to move her fingers across her guitar strings with her usual fluidity and dexterity. It was as if they were covered in golden syrup, pulled and slowed down by the viscous, sickly sweet almost liquid.

The thought made her stomach churn and Noodle squirmed, hunching down further over her guitar, teeth grinding against each other as she clenched her jaw together against the stomach acid that was rising up her throat.

Her fingers stumbled, losing the rhythm of the song they were playing- and in all honesty, Noodle couldn't even remember the name of the piece that they were working on- and before anyone could say anything she had yanked her guitar up and away from her body, thrusting it into a surprised 2D's hands before slipping from her stool and rushing from the room, hand clamped over her mouth. Noodle could hear her bandmates calling her name as she sprinted down the corridor, barreling into the bathroom just in time to crouch in front of the toilet and empty the contents of her stomach into the bowl. She wasn't sure how long she was there before she felt a heavy hand gently rub her back, and another smooth the hair away from her face. She jumped when she first felt the contact, body hypersensitive, but didn't jerk away.

Eventually, Noodle was curled up against Russel's chest, his hands still rubbing her back and stroking her hair as she shivered uncontrollably. 2D was hovering nearby, wanting to help but not entirely sure what he could do. Russel ignored him, mind racing through all the things that his mum would do for him when he was sick. He looked down at the shivering mess of a girl in his arms, and shifted.

"C'mon, you need to be in bed. Do you want a shower first? Make you feel a little less gross?" he asked gently. Noodle thought about it for a moment, picking through the words, and then nodded. "Alright then. Dee will get you some pyjamas, okay? You wait here, I'm gonna get it ready for you." He gently sat her back on the floor and stood up, wincing as his back cracked in several places. 2D had already scurried off, relieved that he finally had a task, and Russel moved over to the shower, turning various knobs until it was a decent temperature. By this point 2D had sidled back into the room, clutching a pair of worn pyjamas that had, at one point, been his, but had (along with most of his other old clothes) been donated to Noodle when Mrs Potts had first found out that the young girl was not only living with her son, but that she had no clothes other than the ones that Noodle had been wearing when she had first jumped out of the crate. 2D wasn't even sure why his mother had still kept all of his own clothes but hadn't questioned it, and although Noodle's wardrobe had grown considerably since those first early days, for some reason they had never bothered to replace the pyjamas.

2D placed the clothing on the rail by the towel, and he and Russel waited outside whilst Noodle had her shower, both of them leaning against opposite sides of the corridor.

"Where's Murdoc?" Russel asked after a while, breaking the silence that had settled in the corridor. 2D shrugged.

"Dunno. He said… said there's no point to having more band practice today? Something like that, right after you left. Disappeared after that." 2D scratched his chin idly. "She's pretty sick isn't she?"

"Yeah. Poor girl," Russel sighed. 2D hummed in agreement.

"She looked a bit strange this morning," he commented, before straightening up as the bathroom door opened and Noodle appeared, steam curling around her ankles. "D'you want to go to sleep now?" he asked, and Noodle nodded. 2D held his hand out and the younger girl slipped her hand into his, letting 2D semi-drag her along to her room, Russel trailing along behind them.

Soon they got back to Noodle's room, and she huddled into her bed, dragging the covers up and around her body. Both Russel and 2D flitted around, making sure that she was comfortable and warm but not too warm, that there was a bin by her bed in case she threw up again, and that the light was dim enough to sleep, but that it wasn't completely pitch black. Noodle watched them through half lidded eyes, and soon enough both 2D and Russel were stood by the door, ready to leave her in peace.

"We'll come and check on you, but if you need us we'll be in the kitchen," Russel said softly, still hovering in the doorway. Noodle nodded, hearing his voice but not attempting to follow his sentence, and rolled over. "Get better soon baby," was all she heard before the door closed with a click and she was finally able to drift off to sleep.

* * *

Noodle woke with a start, heart racing and head pounding. Her throat felt as if it had been scraped raw, and she kicked off the many blankets she had layered overself before she had gone to sleep, suddenly unbearably hot. Noodle couldn't remember exactly what had woken her up, but she wished that she hadn't. The wind was howling around Kong, louder than normal, and rain lashed at her windows. The light from her nightlight, normally a source of comfort, was casting odd shadows through the room and various objects that Noodle couldn't quite pinpoint loomed at her through the gloom. Noodle whimpered as her fevered brain turned the objects into horrifying monsters, and she pushed back against the headboard, eyes fixed on what was normally her blue chair but seemed have become a mysterious, imposing figure.

There was a flash of lightning, followed by a loud clap of thunder, and Noodle scrambled out of bed, tripping on her blankets in the process and falling to the floor with a loud thump. Eyes watering as she banged her knee hard on the floor, Noodle got to her feet clumsily and, snagging one of the blankets of her bed, fled the room.

* * *

It wasn't much better outside of her room. Whilst it was brighter, the fluorescent lighting was making Noodle's head spin as she wandered through the empty hallways with no clear direction of where she was going. Somewhere in her muddled haze, Noodle intended to find Russel, who would know what she needed to feel better, or 2D, who gave the best hugs, or even Murdoc, who would probably grunt at her but let her stay with him and at least be company. Unfortunately, she had no idea where they were and Kong was a maze at the best of times, let alone when she was ill and running a bad fever.

After what felt like hours of stumbling around on her own (but what was, in reality, thirty minutes), Noodle was ready to give up completely. She had ended up sitting on the floor because her legs felt like jelly and she was _still_ shivering, despite her blanket and the fact that she felt hot and sticky in her sweaty pyjamas, and all Noodle wanted to do was curl up and cry because everything hur-

"Noodle?" Noodle looked up, and 2D's concerned face swam into focus. "You alright?"

"Toochee," Noodle croaked, reaching out for him, and he pulled her into his arms. Noodle immediately burrowed into him, closing her eyes.

"Why aren't you in bed?" he asked softly, looking down at Noodle's spiky hair.

"'S not right. There's a… a…" Noodle trailed off and 2D waited patiently while she found the right word. "A 'grr'," she eventually said, giving up when the word didn't come to her, and she screwed her fingers up into an imitation of claws. 2D frowned.

"A 'grr'? Do you mean monster?"

"Yes," she replied, although she wasn't sure. "Stay with you?" Noodle asked hopefully, peeking up at 2D through her fringe. 2D smiled softly back.

"Of course you can. Let's go find Russel." He scooped her up, rearranging her so he was giving her a piggyback (because although Noodle was small, she wasn't small enough for 2D to be able to carry her in his arms like Russel could), and he set off in the direction of the living room. Noodle rested her chin on his shoulder as he walked, only half listening to whatever film 2D was talking about.

By the time they reached the living room, Noodle had almost drifted off to sleep again, rousing only slightly when she was pulled off of 2D's back and settled on to the sofa, her blanket arranged over her.

"Better?" asked 2D, and Noodle looked at him and then at Russel, who was watching her from over the top of his coffee.

"Better," she replied, before succumbing to the demands of her tired body and drifting to sleep completely.

 **A/N: It's my personal headcannon that when Noodle came to Kong, 2-D's mum ended up donating loads of old clothes to Noodle before she was able to actually get some of her own. It'll turn out I am wildly inaccurate but there we go.**

 **Sorry for there not being much (any) Murdoc in this chapter, for any Murdoc fans reading this. I don't know, to me he seems the sort of person who would mysteriously disappear as soon as someone is sick.**

 **Also, I wish I could write my coursework in the amount of time it took me to write this...**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I don't own Gorillaz. Or twister.**

"Noodle, left hand… red," said Russel, squinting at the spinner he was holding in his hands. Noodle scanned the mat that she was precariously sprawled over, then back at Russel.

"Red? Like shoes?" she asked.

"Yeah baby, just like your shoes," replied Russel, and Noodle obligingly shifted her left hand over two spots to a red one, arms crossing over each other at a most awkward angle. Russel spun the spinner again.

"D… right leg green." 2D grimaced, before shifting his right foot from the red spot it was on to a green one, legs criss-crossing and not at all providing enough support. He wobbled, before tipping over just as Murdoc entered the room. 2D landed with a thud that was drowned out by Noodle's cries of joy at winning the game, rubbing his elbow when it banged on the coffee table that had been unceremoniously shoved out of the way.

"What is going on?" asked Murdoc, folding his arms and raising an eyebrow.

"Playing!" said Noodle happily, already straightening the mat out to play again.

"I can see that," Murdoc growled, stepping further into the room.

"We thought it would help Noodle to learn her colours," Russel explained.

"More fun than the workbooks," 2D added. "Although, she keeps winning," he tacked on, pouting a little. Noodle grinned triumphantly, and Murdoc's eyes narrowed slightly.

Murdoc huffed as he he hung with his head upside down, hands and feet firmly planted on several of the coloured mats. Noodle's hair was tickling his bare arms, and he had a wonderful view of 2D's foot which was resting on a blue spot under Murdoc's chest. Not for the first time that afternoon, Murdoc wandered how, exactly, he had been roped into this game of Twister.

(Russel knew; in fact, it was Russel that had convinced him to play in the first place. Some small jibe about not being able to beat Noodle, and the competitive Murdoc had jumped at the chance to play and prove that he was, in fact, the best at Twister. This was became blatantly untrue as the afternoon had worn on and Noodle had continued to beat the other two bandmates playing, and Murdoc had become increasingly insistent that they play again so that he could win.)

There was another spin of the spinner, another shift of Murdoc's right hand, and soon he was toppling over, crashing into 2D in the process. Noodle sprang upright, cheering as she was, once again, the winner. This turned into a squeak as Murdoc, having righted himself, stood and glowered at the guitarist. Noodle scrambled behind the sofa, having the audacity to laugh as Murdoc lunged forward and proceeded to chase her around the room. He quickly caught up to her, and lifted her up to eye level. Noodle was still giggling a little, and Murdoc's expression softened slightly.

"You little brat," he said affectionately, before dumping her on the sofa next to Russel. Noodle poked her tongue out at Murdoc, before leaning against Russel.

"Wanna play again?" asked Russel, glancing down at Noodle. Noodle looked around the room, from the discarded mat to Murdoc who had sat down in his armchair and was squinting at a bottle of rum in his hand to 2D who was still sat on the floor, poking at a rapidly developing bruise on his elbow. Noodle shook her head.

"Food now?" she asked, turning back to Russel hopefully. Russel chuckled, patting the top of her radio helmet.

"Sure kid. What do you want to eat?"

"Noodle!"

"You want to eat yourself?" teased Russel as the two of them disappeared out of the room and towards the kitchen.

"No! Noodle to eat!" Their voices grew steadily fainter, and Murdoc rolled his eyes, settling back into his chair contentedly. Whilst he may not have won to Noodle at twister (but that was not to say that he would never win anything, he was Murdoc, and if he could be bothered he would be the best at everything), the game had been a welcome change to the usual chaos of Kong.

 **A/N: Meh, not too happy with the ending, but I just wanted to see Murdoc playing twister XD**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I don't own Gorillaz, or Frankenstein.**

Noodle spun in the chair, twirling a red pen round and round in her fingers. The humming of the electricity generator- which had taken her an entire week to fix, and was held together in some parts with a roll of duct tape she had found in a kitchen drawer in one of her first reconnaissance missions throughout Kong- was the only sound in the dingy room. Noodle was bored, bored with being on her own and bored of spending all her time in the surveillance room. Paper littered the desk, scrawled with random notes and lyrics, half completed songs and melodies left abandoned. A heap of blankets and cushions that Noodle had stolen from various rooms was piled in the corner, a lamp that had lost its shade sitting on the floor beside it along with a half read, worn copy of _Frankenstein_ that had been found abandoned in 2D's old room. There were several boxes of crackers and packets of crisps in an old crate stored under the desk and out of the way, along with carefully collected tins of fruit that Noodle would occasionally pry open with a knife when she felt that vitamins were needed. Other than that, and an old calendar dated back to 1990 that Noodle had salvaged from Murdoc's Winnebago, the room was bare. Noodle had thought about relocating her base of operations back to her old room now that the zombies were mostly gone, but even though she was no longer preoccupied with ridding Kong from the undead, and that the studio was in fully functioning order, the surveillance room had come to feel safe, and wandering the empty hallways of Kong alone raised too many melancholic feelings for Noodle to want to move out of the small room.

A bang echoed out of the tinny speakers in the room and Noodle paused for a moment in her spinning, scanning the monitors for any signs of zombie activity- she had removed all she could find, but as she had no knowledge as to exactly how many there were she couldn't be sure that they were eradicated completely- and reached for her baseball bat that was leaning against the wall. There was a tense pause, and Noodle almost relaxed her tight grip, but a flicker of movement from one of the bottom monitors caught her eye and she sprang up out of the seat.

Noodle stalked to the door, pausing only to cross off another day on the calendar, before tucking the pen behind her ear and throwing open the door and taking off down the corridor, her rubber soled shoes masking any sound. Noodle rounded the corner, hefting the bat up and above her head, and was about to spring when she skidded to a stop, her battle cry falling silent on her lips. She almost dropped the bat in surprise, because part of her hadn't expected any of her bandmates to come back, much less for the first to return to be Murdoc.

"Murdoc?" she asked uncertainly, and the bassist turned around to look at her, cigarette dangling from his lips. He gave her his trademark smirk, the one that was actually a smile and reserved only for her, hands shoved deep into the pockets of his jacket.

"Hey kiddo," he said softly, and then, because Murdoc is Murdoc, "did you miss me?"

Noodle threw the bat away, it falling to the floor with a thunk and rolling away drunkenly down the corridor. She ran the rest of the distance, punched him hard once in the arm, and hugged him tightly.

"Ouch! What was tha- okay okay, sure thing, I missed you too," he mumbled, patting her spikey hair awkwardly. "Sweet satan, you've grown haven't you? Love what you've done with the place by the way, really digging the 'ransacked by a hyperactive thief' look… please, Noodle, can you let go now?" Murdoc rambled, trying to pry Noodle off. Eventually she stepped back and looked at him, smiling slightly.

"I didn't think that you would come back," she admitted.

"Course I would. Can't have my little guitarist try and upstage me, now can I?" Murdoc retorted, folding his arms across his chest. "Where're the other two, anyway?"

"They're not here."

"They'll come," Murdoc replied dismissively, turning and heading in the direction of the kitchen. Noodle skipped after him, a little half-jog to keep up with his longer legs.

"Wait!" she called, just before they passed the door to the surveillance room, and she dashed inside to collect a notebook hiding amongst the handful of the loose papers from the desk. "Okay," Noodle said, re-joining him outside, and they resumed their speed walk to the kitchen. Whilst Noodle settled herself down at the table, swinging her legs that, despite the growth spurt, were still too short to actually reach the ground, Murdoc poked around his bags, eventually pulling out a bottle of the tequila he had brought back from Mexico and jamming a sombrero on to Noodle's head. He sat down opposite her, taking a swig of the alcohol, and Noodle pushed the notebook over to him, pushing the sombrero back a little so she could watch him closely.

"What's all this?" he asked, squinting at the pages.

"New album," replied Noodle, leaning her elbows on the table and propping her chin up in her hands. "What d'you think?"

"Hmm…" Murdoc lunged over the table and plucked the pen out from Noodle's ear, making a few annotations to the notes. "Needs a little work, but it looks good. Should be able to turn it into something though."

"I fixed the studio," Noodle offered. "If you want to work on it now."

"Right now?" Murdoc raised an eyebrow, glanced around the mostly empty kitchen, then shrugged with one shoulder. "Sure. Might's well. C'mon then." He heaved himself out of his chair, and Noodle slipped out of hers, and the two of them headed to the studio.

A few days later, 2D showed up, having finally read the text from Noodle, having hitchhiked his way to Kong all the way from Crawley. Murdoc had rolled his eyes as 2D stuttered through an apology for having gotten lost along the way and therefore delaying his return. A week later, Russel arrived, agreeing to come and record the drums following a phone call with an over-excited Noodle who had, Russel noticed, seemingly gained the ability to speak fluent English.

And as Noodle gazed around the living room following their first full rehearsal, eyes heavy with sleep and cuddled up against 2D on the sofa, she grinned, happy that her family were finally back together.

 **A/N: Gotta love Murdoc and his ego. Also, given how much 2D loves zombie films, I reckon he would enjoy some of the gothic classics such as** _ **Frankenstein**_ **and** _ **Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde**_ **. Plus in his room on the app, he has a collection of the penguin classics on the bookshelf so I guess he likes to read?**

 **Also, apparently Noodle got inspiration for Feel Good Inc from the ingredients list on the back of a packet of crisps, hence the box of them in this chapter.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I don't own Gorillaz.**

2D woke with a start, not entirely sure what had woken him. It could have been anything, or nothing at all, and he ran a hand over his face tiredly, wondering how much effort it would take to go back to sleep. On the one hand, he was warm and comfortable and tired, but on the other, he generally had trouble getting back to sleep when awake and sometimes it wasn't worth the effort.

He was broken out of his musings by a loud yowling from outside, and 2D jolted out of bed, lurching towards the window and flinging back the curtains. 2D peered outside, trying to find the source of the noise, but it was dark and his eyesight wasn't the best even during the day time. There was a crashing sound from the landing and 2D whirled around, almost losing his balance as he did so, arms pinwheeling to keep him upright. He crept to the door, half convinced that it was a burglar, but threw it wide open when he heard Noodle curse in a loud whisper from the landing, the sound carrying through the house.

"Noodle?" he asked, stepping out of his doorway. Noodle glanced back at him from by the stairs, torch in one hand and a box of cat kibble in the other.

"Toochie, I can't find Katsu!" she said, eyebrows drawing together in a frown. "I thought I heard a fight outside and I can't find him!"

"Oh. Oh, you think he was in the fight?" asked 2D, eyes widening.

"Maybe. I'm going to go look outside," Noodle replied.

"Wait! I'll come too," 2D said, before hurrying back to his room to grab a jacket and tug on a pair of shoes. Soon the two of them were in the back garden, calling and calling for Katsu. It was pouring with rain, the weather seeming to take on Kong-like intensity, and both Noodle and 2D were quickly drenched. 2D's jaw was clenched shut in an effort to control the chattering from the cold, his thin jacket doing little to keep him warm from weather, and Noodle continued to call for Katsu with increasing desperation.

"Oi! What the hell are you two doing?" shouted a gravelly voice from the doorway, and 2D glanced back to see both Russel and Murdoc leaning against the doorway, watching the pair. 2D hurried over to them.

"There were cats fighting earlier, and now we're looking for Katsu," 2D explained, stumbling over the words as he shivered. Russel reached over and snagged 2D's sleeve, tugging him inside and dumping a blanket over the singer's head.

"You're not gonna find him in this storm," he said as 2D pulled the blanket off his head and wrapped it around his shoulders. "All that's gonna happen is that you'll get sick, D, and if you do I ain't gonna be looking after your sorry ass."

"But… but what about Noodle?" 2D gasped. "She's really worried!" The three peered outside again at Noodle, who had ignored them completely. Her hair was plastered to her face, and the light of the torch showed her breath every time she shouted Katsu's name. Russel sighed heavily.

"I'll go get her," he said resolutely, before dashing outside. There was a shout of surprise, followed by a lot of loud swearing in a variety of languages, a suspicious thumping noise, and Russel soon returned, Noodle flung over his shoulder, legs kicking.

"Let me go! Let me go, Russel! Katsu!" she screamed, even as Murdoc closed and locked the back door. Russel winced as one of Noodle's kicks connected with his thigh, but waited for her to go limp before depositing her on the sofa, wrapping her up tightly in another blanket. Russel sat on the coffee table in front of her, and Noodle glared at him.

"We'll look for Katsu in the morning, if he's still missing. He's probably just hiding somewhere, or hunting or whatever," Russel said soothingly.

"What if he's hurt? What if he was in the fight I heard earlier?" Noodle retorted, still glowering, fidgeting under the blanket so that she could get her arms free.

"I doubt he's hurt, if he was he would be easier to find. I promise, first thing tomorrow we'll go look for him but I'm sure he's fine." Noodle scowled at him for a moment more, before seemingly deflating, falling back into the sofa.

"I'm just worried," she admitted, looking down into her lap.

"I know baby, but we can't have you getting sick," Russel explained, and 2D pulled her into a hug. "Anyway, you probably just heard foxes or raccoons fighting, there aren't too many cats around here."

"I guess," Noodle agreed, albeit reluctantly. That seemed to be enough for Russel, and he stood up again.

"Alright. I'm going to head back to bed, but if he isn't back by morning, we'll go looking for him, okay?" Noodle nodded, untangling herself from 2D and getting up as well, and the four drifted off back to their rooms.

OOO

2D woke to the sound of loud knocking on his door and sunlight streaming through the window. He frowned, disoriented for the moment that it took to realise that he was awake, but quickly he got out of bed and hurried to the door, opening it mid knock. Noodle was stood outside, one hand still raised, and the other cradling Katsu.

"Noodle?" 2D asked, confused, and he looked back at his alarm clock because although he had a tendency to sleep in, it was nothing compared to Noodle, and it was normally him that was knocking on her bedroom door to wake her up. He was worried for a moment that he had slept through until the afternoon, but catching sight of his alarm clock he saw that it was still fairly early. 2D turned back to Noodle, hiding a yawn behind his hand. "Why're you up?"

"It's Katsu," Noodle said, ducking under 2D's arm and heading in to his room. "He's hurt." She sat on his bed, cradling the unusually docile cat to her chest. 2D blinked, taking a moment to process this, before scurrying over to her and peering at Katsu. The cat had buried his nose into Noodle, but there was clearly a deep cut on his head that was still sluggishly bleeding, and tufts of fur seemed to be missing from his coat.

"Um… Noodle, shouldn't he go to the vet?" asked 2D, sitting next to Noodle.

"Russel's phoning them now," Noodle explained. "I just… he's going to be okay, yes? He was missing for such a long time, he must have been really hurting… I just wish we had found him last night."

"Noodle, he has a scratch. 'S not exactly life or death. Also, I don't think that the vets are open at four in the morning."

"But-"

"I know you're worried love, but he'll be fine, yeah? He'll probably just have to wear one of those weird collar things, y'know, the ones that make them look like a lamp, and then he'll be better."

"...Okay. I should put him in his travel basket, he needs to see the vet soon."

"Alright then. D'you want me to come with you?"

"Only if you want." 2D nodded, and Noodle wandered off to find the cat basket and let 2D get dressed in peace.

OOO

In the end, it did turn out to be scratch (although it was infected), and Katsu did have to wear a collar, which he did so with much displeasure. He was, for the most part, shut up in Noodle's room until the infection had been cleared, Noodle bringing him small pieces of tuna and ham when Russel wasn't looking. 2D and Russel had taken the opportunity to feed the cat as well, revelling in the unusual docility of the animal, but three weeks later they learnt that Katsu was feeling much better, having hissed 2D out of the room and swiping at Russel's hand when he tried to tickle Katsu's stomach. Noodle had had the audacity to laugh, scooping the animal up and kissing him on the nose. Russel and 2D had retreated after that, bemoaning the return of the demon cat that hated both Russel and 2D but, inexplicably, loved Murdoc. 2D hypothesised that the cheetah print lining of Murdoc's cloak had confused the cat into thinking Murdoc was actually Katsu's feline overlord; Russel had actually rolled his eyes at that theory when he had heard it.

However, the cat was better and, as 2D huddled on the sofa away from the bristling, growling Katsu, he vowed never to go traipsing outside in the pouring rain for the animal ever again.

 **A/N: I love cats, so much (I currently have three). A similar situation happened to a cat I used to have actually; she got into a fight with a fox, and then ended up having to be cared for weeks after because she got a badly infected cut. We knew when she felt better because she was much less friendly after.**

 **Also, it is surprisingly hard to write from 2D's perspective. It's always claimed (ahem, by Murdoc) that he's a bit thick, and he does go off on tangents a lot, but he also (canonically) has good grades from school and a law degree? And like, he's both being knocked around a lot by Murdoc (hello DoYaThing video) but when you listen to some of the interviews from Plastic Beach and also some of the more recent ones he's really sarcastic and a little mean about Murdoc? So his personality just seems a little contradictory and hard to pin down… I still love him though.**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I don't own Gorillaz.**

2D looked up from his laptop as Noodle bounded into his room and leapt onto the bed, grinning widely.

"Hey Noodle," he greeted her, spinning round in his chair to see her. Noodle rolled onto her stomach, propping her chin up on her arms.

"Hey Toochie. What are you doing?"

"Reading," he replied, wrinkling his nose.

"Reading what?"

"About penguins. They have a really cool thing in their legs so their feet don't get too cold."

"Oh, that's clever."

"Mhm. D'you want a sandwich?" he asked abruptly, closing his laptop. Noodle shook her head.

"I went out with Murdoc earlier," she said instead, picking a loose thread on 2D's duvet. 2D raised an eyebrow, stretching out his long legs and putting his feet on top of the bed, folding his hands behind his head.

"Where did you go?"

"To the pub. He said someone owed him some money," Noodle replied, and 2D snorted.

"Murdoc says everyone owes him money," he pointed out, and Noodle nodded. "How come he took you anyway?"

"I was bored, and needed some… some things from the store," she replied evasively.

"Oh, okay. Fair enough. The pub is always fun when you're bored," 2D said, attention already wandering back to his laptop. Noodle ignored him; she was used to the way that his attention seemed to drift around when having conversations. The pair were quiet for a bit, 2D reading his article again and Noodle playing one of the games on her phone, before she flipped it shut and looked over at 2D again.

"Toochie…"

"Mm?" replied 2D, not looking away from his screen. Noodle paused. "What is it love?"

"Someone kissed me," she admitted, cheeks blushing pink. 2D's head snapped up, his gaze zeroing in on Noodle.

"I'm sorry, what?"

"Someone kissed me," Noodle repeated, the pink blush deepening further.

"On the lips?"

"...yes…"

"Did you like it?"

"...I guess? It was kind of strange, and it felt all fluttery in my stomach but… it was nice," she admitted, ducking her head down. 2D's face broke into a huge grin, and he set his laptop on his desk, leaning forward in his chair.

"Does Russel know? Does _Murdoc_?"

"No! Please, don't tell them…"

"Don't worry, I won't. Was this at the pub? How old are they?"

"Yes, it was at the pub. They are about my age? Maybe a year older."

"Why were they there?"

"Their dad owns the place. They said that they're there pretty much all the time, if I ever wanted to hang out."

"Hm. Well if you do want to go there, let me know and I'll take you."

"Really? Thank you!" Noodle slipped off the bed and hugged 2D tightly. "I'm going to go see if Russel wants any help with dinner."

"Okay. See you later." 2D ruffled Noodle's hair, and she let go of him and darted out of the room, heading down the hallway.

OOO

2D looked over at his door as it slowly opened, reaching down for a book to throw and putting it down again when Noodle slunk into the room, her head bowed. He glanced over at the clock on his bedside table, disoriented from the nap he had taken in order to stave off the migraine that had been lurking on the horizon in his brain and although the telltale stabs of pain on the left side of his brain had gone and everything he looked at was in better focus and no longer with the fuzzy edges, 2D was still groggy enough to be confused as to why it was dark outside and why Noodle was awake.

Noodle said nothing to him and he said nothing in return. Instead, she simply slid into bed next to him, burying her face into his side, and 2D's arms automatically rearranged themselves around her, shifting over to the side so that she would have enough room to lie down next to him. Eventually his brain caught up with what was going on, but 2D stayed silent for a little while longer, waiting to see if Noodle would tell him what was happening without prompting, or whether he would have to ask.

"Noodle? Are you okay? Did you have another nightmare?" he asked eventually, looking down at her dark hair. Noodle's arms tightened around him, but she shook her head. "Did Murdoc say something bad to you?"

"No, Murdoc did nothing. I can handle Murdoc," she said, voice muffled by 2D's tee-shirt. "Nothing is wrong," Noodle insisted, but her voice hitched when her phone pinged, signaling a text, fingers clenching around the soft cotton of his top, and 2D rubbed her back softly. Her phone pinged again, and Noodle twisted round so that she was on her side, her cheek rather than forehead now resting against his chest.

"Who keeps texting you?" asked 2D, because out of the three other band members, 2D was the only one likely to text Noodle when they were all in Kong; Russel would call her, if he was out, or come and find her, and Murdoc hardly ever used his phone in the first place.

"Sam," said Noodle. "They… they have a girlfriend. Already." 2D frowned, trying to remember who Sam was, tracing back through his memories.

"The person from the pub? The one who kissed you?" he asked, and Noodle nodded. 2D's arms tightened around her, the hand that had been rubbing her back moving up to stroke her hair when he felt the first tear soak his top. "Oh Noodle, love, I'm sorry."

"I just… I just feel so… so _stupid_ ," she choked out, tears starting to fall thick and fast, leaving salty saline tracks down her cheeks. 2D reached down to wipe them gently away, hating that Noodle was so upset. She wasn't one to cry, never had been, but if 2D knew anything it was that heartbreak was hard. Especially if it was the first.

"You're not stupid, Noodle. Nowhere near. You're just… young, that's all. I'm sorry this happened to you."

"It hurts," she whispered.

"I know. I know it does love, and I'm sorry it hurts," 2D replied. "But you aren't stupid. I bet this… this _Sam_ creature hasn't written an entire album, or can do kickass karate moves, or can play the guitar as well as you."

"No…" 

"And I bet Sam isn't in an… an 'international famous super rock band'," 2D added, in a poor imitation of Murdoc's voice. Noodle's lips quirked upwards almost involuntarily. "Sam isn't the 'best guitarist in the best band in the world- no, universe!'" he continued, and Noodle rewarded him with a chuckle.

"No, they aren't."

"Exactly. Want to watch a movie? I think Russel bought some ice cream the other day. We could have a sleepover?"

"Ice cream sounds good," Noodle admitted, rubbing her cheeks and sitting up.

"Okay. You grab the blankets and choose a film, I'll go get the ice cream."

"Okay. Thank you," she added, and 2D reached over and ruffled her hair.

"Don't worry about it love."

 **A/N: Sorry that this took me so long. I am in the middle of my exam season right now and I am so tired. Also I started another chapter but I'm stuck on it, and continued one of the earlier chapters to such an extent that it has now doubled in size, so… my mind was on a lot of things.**

 **Also, shout out to those reviewers! It's really nice to know people are actually reading this. I generally don't write for reviews, because I feel like that would put a lot of expectation on me to write more quickly which I just can't do, but I do appreciate all of the ones that I receive.**

 **Also the penguin thing is the only thing I remember from biology XD**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I don't own Gorillaz.**

The last notes of the song they had been practising fell away, melting slowly into silence, and Murdoc took off his bass and hung it on the rack thankfully. Never had he looked forward to a drink so much after a rehearsal; it wasn't that the practice had gone bad, per se, because they were Gorillaz and Gorillaz was the best band in the universe so nothing they did was bad, but something had been… off. Not right. Out of kilter.

Murdoc glanced at 2D, who had one hand resting on the microphone and was staring at some undefinable point on the floor, and Murdoc decided that something was definitely wrong with his singer. He had been withdrawn and distracted all day, and whilst the band had come to expect the moody sullenness from Noodle when she was upset over something, it was a new personality trait from 2D.

Murdoc's gaze flickered over to Russel, who shook his head and glanced over at Noodle.

"C'mon Noods, let's see what we can make for dinner," Russel said, herding the younger girl out of the room. Murdoc could faintly hear her protesting all the way down the corridor that she wanted to talk to 2D, but Murdoc ignored her, instead crossing the room and closing the door before rather forcibly pushing 2D into the sofa by the wall.

"Alright Faceache, what's got your knickers in a twist?" Murdoc asked, pulling out two cigarettes and lighting them both, passing one to 2D. 2D took it on autopilot, not seeming to notice or care that they were, in fact, originally his. Murdoc threw himself on to the other end of the sofa, taking a deep drag, and waited for 2D to speak.

"My dad died," 2D said suddenly, still staring at the floor, and Murdoc nearly choked, because of all the things he was expecting to hear, that was not on the list. "He… my mum rang this morning… he just… just went in his sleep." 2D took a deep, shaky, breath, tangling the fingers of his free hand in his hair.

"Oh," was all Murdoc said, because that was all he could say. Murdoc had never had a good relationship with his father, had in fact hated him, and he was never that good at comfort anyway. "You need to go back to Crawley," Murdoc said eventually, after a moment of the two of them contemplating the silence.

"What about the album?"

"We'll be able to cope without you for a week or two. Don't go around thinking that you're that essential to the creative process. 'Sides, if you stay here to mope it'll sound shit anyway."

2D huffed, but didn't push the point. "D'you think there'll be trains now?" he asked instead, staring at the floor contemplatively.

"Probably not, it'll be too late. But we can drive you, if you want. Save you from having to get the train tomorrow."

"No, it's okay. I'll go in the morning. It'll give me time to… to think." Murdoc bit back the retort that was dancing on the tip of his tongue about 2D and thinking, instead storing it at the back of his mind to use at a later, less emotional date. Fuck, but he was getting too sentimental for all of this.

"Alright then. You go and pack a bag. We'll take you to the station, at least." 2D nodded, stubbing out the cigarette he hadn't really smoked into the ashtray and stood up, heading to the door and disappearing. Murdoc sighed, running a hand through his hair, before heading to the kitchen.

OOO

"2D's going home for a bit," announced Murdoc the moment he stepped foot into the kitchen, causing Noodle and Russel to look up from their cooking.

"Why?" asked Noodle, dusting her hands on the large blue apron that Russel had wrapped around her before they had started their pasta sauce cooking adventure.

"His dad passed away," replied Murdoc, settling down at the table.

"Oh shit," breathed Russel, turning down the heat for the pasta before turning his attention fully to Murdoc. "That's what's been bothering him?"

"Yeah. Thanks pet," he added, popping open the can that Noodle had fetched for him from the fridge. Noodle flashed him a quick smile, opening her own can of fanta and sitting down opposite him, pasta sauce forgotten.

"Does he need us to drive him?" asked Russel, stealing a sip of Noodle's drink. Noodle glared at him, and he ruffled her hair.

"No, he wants to go by train. Says it'll give him time to think," sneered Murdoc, unable to resist the implied jibe at 2D.

"Don't even think about it Muds," warned Russel, pointing a wooden spoon at Murdoc. "Not now, leave the poor boy alone."

"I didn't say anything!" said Murdoc, holding his hands up defensively.

"No, but you were thinking it. Leave it alone," Russel repeated, before drifting back to the stove.

"How long will he be gone for?" asked Noodle, playing with the ring tab on the top of her can.

"I don't know, love. Probably about a week. It depends on when the funeral is, and whether his mum needs him for anything," replied Murdoc.

"Hmm. I'm going to see if he's okay," Noodle said, slipping out of her chair.

"Noodle…" warned Russel. "I don't think it's a good idea to bother him."

"I'm not going to bother him," Noodle protested, frowning. Russel opened his mouth to speak again, but Murdoc coughed, frowning at him. Russel changed tack, also wanting to avoid the potential of a teenage Noodle outburst.

"You can check on him Noodle, but don't get upset if he doesn't want to talk. If he wants to be alone, let him be, okay?"

Noodle nodded. "Should I take him some pasta?"

"Er… sure. Take some for yourself as well, okay?" Russel pulled two bowls out and scooped some of the pasta into them, passing them to Noodle once they were done, carefully carrying them out of the kitchen, and disappeared down the hallway.

OOO

"Noodle?" whispered Russel, poking his head round 2D's bedroom door. 2D blinked, looking over at Russel, breaking out of the stupor he had fallen into and switching off the dvd player.

"She's here, she's asleep," he replied.

"Oh, okay. D'you want me to take her to her own bed? It's pretty late," Russel offered, slipping completely into the room. 2D shook his head.

"It's fine. I can't really sleep anyway."

"I get it. C'mon, come with me," Russel said, opening the door wider and letting the light spill into the room. 2D considered it, but decided to go with Russel, gently laying Noodle down completely on the bed, tucking her in with his duvet. Noodle shuffled around a little, frowning slightly as her previous source of warmth was removed, but didn't wake up. 2D drifted after Russel, the two of them heading towards the kitchen, and before he was truly aware of where he was Russel had placed a steaming cup of tea in front of him. 2D wrapped his hands around it immediately, fingers looped through the handle and interlacing, and stared into the top for a moment or two before taking a sip over the overly milky tea, just managing to hide a wince. Russel never really had got the hang of how to make a 'proper' cup, but 2D wasn't one to complain about an act of kindness; he wasn't Murdoc. At least Russel had left the teabag in the cup this time, and 2D poked it, watching as the milky drink stained a darker brown.

Russel settled at the table as well, picking through the newspaper that had been discarded from the morning, turning automatically to the puzzles at the back and filling in the gaps in the crossword that Noodle hadn't bothered to complete. It normally took him three times as long to figure out than it did for Noodle, but Russel didn't mind, simply letting his thoughts focus on the puzzle rather than on anything else.

The pair were quiet as they waited for the morning to come, 2D contemplating his tea and Russel scratching out the odd word in order to scribble down something else. Every so often one of them would say something, a passing comment about an errant thought, but it was mostly silent and still, and the tenseness that had built up in 2D's shoulders throughout the course of the day slowly started to bleed out, until it was morning and time for 2D to catch his taxi to the station, having refused point blank to accept a lift. Noodle had come downstairs not long before the taxi was due, still half asleep, and hugging 2D tightly just before he went out.

"You sure you're gonna be alright?" Russel asked, poking his head through the window of the car. 2D looked at him, and then at Noodle who was watching from the top of the path, and could even make out Murdoc peering at him from the dark of the doorway.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. I'll see you in a week," he replied, managing to crack a small smile. Russel nodded, withdrawing from the window and letting the car drive off.

 **A/N: I forgot where I was going with this chapter. But yeah, in the interview tapes for Demon Days 2D mentioned that his dad died at some point. Also shoutout to a teenage Noodle drinking fanta, because it feels like every teenager I have come across drinks it XD And as for the tea thing, I get picked on all the time by my friends for drinking it super milky. I get it from my mum.**

 **Finally, don't expect another chapter this quickly; I already had most of this written and I am procrastinating hard right now over my EU exam.**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: I don't own Gorillaz.**

 **Phase One.**

"No!"

"Yes."

"No!"

"Yes- C'mon Noodle, please. We're running out of time. This is non-negotiable." Russel leant back against the kitchen counter, folding his arms and staring down at the younger girl. Noodle copied him, puffing her cheeks out as she glared, despite not fully understanding what Russel had said to her.

"No need," she insisted, and Russel sighed.

"Yes, you do need to. Have you _seen_ your hair this morning? It's a mess! And we have and interview in…" he trailed off, checking his watch, and swore under his breath. "Half an hour, chrissake, Noodle either let me brush your hair or do it yourself, I don't mind, but either way you have to do it before we leave."

"Is fine!" Noodle protested. "Toochie say is fine!" Russel bit back a growl of frustration with some difficulty.

"2D's not brushed his hair once in his life," Russel muttered under his breath. "Okay. Noodle, you have too many knots in your hair. If you let me brush them out, then we can go out for ice cream after the interview. How about that?" Russel bargained, and Noodle raised an eyebrow.

"Ice cream?" she asked.

"Ice cream," Russel repeated. "With sauce and sprinkles."

"...promise?"

"Cross my heart," Russel said, drawing a cross on his chest with his finger. Noodle eyed him suspiciously, before turning around and standing still in front of him. Russel's shoulders slumped in relief, and he moved closer to her, brushing her hair as gently as he could. Noodle often didn't care all that much about how her hair looked; as long as it was out of her face so that she could see her guitar strings, then to her it was fine. The others didn't often bother her about it either; it wasn't something any of them had particular expertise in, after all, but sometimes (like when they had an important interview with photographs afterwards) it would suddenly dawn on Russel that he was going to have to be responsible for making sure that Noodle was somewhat presentable. Unfortunately for him, Noodle _hated_ having her hair brushed, and it had got to the point where Russel would hide the brush on a high shelf in his room to stop Noodle from burying it somewhere in the graveyard.

Noodle stiffened as Russel hit a particularly nasty snarl, and Russel apologised, resting the knot on his hand and brushing it there to try and reduce the tugging. Noodle got more and more tense as Russel tried to brush the knot out, eventually elbowing the drummer in the stomach, hard.

"Ow, Noodle!" Russel gasped, bending double. Noodle freed herself, grabbed the brush, and ran out of the kitchen, dancing out of the way of a bewildered 2D who was stood in the doorway. Russel ran after her, chasing her all the way to the bathroom. Noodle sprinted inside and locked the door before Russel could follow her into the room, and Russel pounded on the door with his fist.

"No brush!" shouted Noodle from inside the bathroom, and Russel glowered at the white door.

"Noodle, I don't care if you do it, but it has to be done before we go. Otherwise no ice cream," he added, reminding the younger girl of the promise he had made earlier. "If, when you come out of that room with your hair still with the knots, then no ice cream for a _week_."

"Week?" asked Noodle, her voice a bit clearer than before, and Russel imagined that she had moved closer to the doorway.

"Yes, one week. Seven days."

"No fair!"

"Plenty fair, Noodle, you can't go round hitting people just for brushing your hair. Either you get rid of the knots, or no ice cream."

Russel moved away from the door, crossed his arms, and waited.

OOO

Noodle glared at the sink, glancing around the room. She hated brushing her hair, or having anyone else brush it, and if 2D said that it looked fine then that was good enough for her. She was there to play the guitar, after all, not to look pretty in front of cameras. #

But. No ice cream for a _week_. That was a long time, seven days to be precise. Too long to be without ice cream.

Noodle looked down at the brush in her hand and grimaced. If only there was a way to get rid of the knots without the brushing…

Glancing around the room, she noticed one of Russel's razors on the shelf in the cabinet above the sink. Noodle grinned, before clambering over the toilet and sink to reach it and plug it in, clutching it in both hands before turning it on.

Russel said that the knots had to be gone; he never said _how_.

OOO

Russel straightened up when the door finally reopened, only for him to press his palm up against the wall as his knees almost gave way.

"Noodle… your _hair_ …" he said weakly, gaping at the young guitarist. Noodle beamed up at him.

"No knot, see? Ice cream, yes?"

"Your hair… what did you… your _hair_ ," Russel repeated, staring at the now bald strips on either side of her head in disbelief.

"Hey, Murdoc wanted to see where you and Noodle were, whether you're ready yet," said 2D, coming up the corridor. "You okay? No offence but it does look like you're having a heart-attack," he added, not noticing Noodle.

"She- her hair- she…" Russel stuttered. 2D frowned.

"Who's hair? Noodle's? It's fine, Russ, we need to go."

"No… look," Russel said, pointing behind 2D. 2D turned around, finally spotting Noodle, and Noodle looked up at him, smiling.

"No knot, see? I have ice cream, yes?"

"Oh shit," said 2D. "Murdoc's gonna go ape when he sees that."

"What are we going to do? We have photos…"

"Ice cream, yes?"

"I- sure, okay, ice cream. Yeah, okay. Um, Noodle, d'you… maybe a hat?" 2D suggested to Russel.

"A- yes, that could work, a hat. Yes. Good. Noodle, go get a hat," Russel instructed, getting over his shock a little. Noodle frowned.

"No hat! I have knot, but now no, and so no hat."

"Noodle, you shaved half your hair off. Apart from anything else, you'll get sick if you go out in the middle of winter without a hat on, your head will get too cold," Russel said, and Noodle's expression went from mildly irritated to on the verge of a child's meltdown in the matter of seconds.

"Noodle, I have something I bet you'll like. It's a helmet, yeah? And it plays music, so you won't get bored during the meeting or interview," 2D said hurriedly, rushing to placate her and avoid a tantrum when they were already running late.

"Helmet?" Noodle repeated, turning her attention to the singer. 2D nodded.

"Yeah, like the ones they were in space. It's really cool. You want to see it?"

"...okay," Noodle agreed suspiciously, taking 2D's outstretched hand and letting him lead her down the corridor, leaving Russel to stare in renewed horror at the mess left behind in the bathroom.

" _Noodle_ …"

OOO

Ten minutes later, they were all finally settled in the Geep, the blue and white helmet firmly jammed on Noodle's head. It turned out that what was originally going to be a Christmas present was a huge hit, already blasting music into Noodle's ears.

Russel let her stare out of the window, not saying a word the entire journey. He could already tell that trying to get the damned thing off her head was going to be as difficult as it was to get her to brush her hair.

 **A/N: Still here, still procrastinating. I just want these exams over my goodness.**

 **So, I cannot work out exactly** _ **when**_ **Noodle got her funky haircut during phase one, because the artwork is not overly consistent, but I reckon she was stubborn enough to not like having her hair brushed when she was little.**

 **Also at some point I'm going to go back through the chapters and post which phase each chapter is in at the start, because it suddenly dawned on me that it may not be 100% clear in some cases.**


End file.
